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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29275329">A Dragon’s Warmth</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MollyPollyKinz/pseuds/MollyPollyKinz'>MollyPollyKinz</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dream SMP - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Attempted Murder, Child Abuse, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Therapy, Therapy Arc, Tommy gets a therapy dragon, Tommy needs a hug, awesamdad, but acts like a cat also, he is like a therapy dog</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 03:55:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,767</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29275329</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MollyPollyKinz/pseuds/MollyPollyKinz</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“You know?” Tommy said, holding the dragon up so he could see him better, “I think I’m going to name you Cat.”</p><p>The dragon purred, and Tommy smiled.</p><p> </p><p>  <i>Cat let out a puff of smoke, hoping that would serve as explanation. Instead, the boy asked why his smoke smelled so comforting.</i></p><p> </p><p>  <i>Yeah, Cat thinks he can comfort the boy, his boy.</i></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Or, the one in which Tommy gets a therapy dragon, because gosh darnit, if canon won't give me a therapy arc, I will give you one myself.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cara | CaptainPuffy &amp; TommyInnit, Eret &amp; TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Sam | Awesamdude &amp; TommyInnit, Toby Smith | Tubbo &amp; TommyInnit, Wilbur Soot &amp; TommyInnit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>218</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2353</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Ace's Favorite FIcs, Cheshire's MCYT recs!, Completed stories I've read, Cute MCYT, Dream SMP Fics (Mainly Tommy (Yeah I'm That Bitch)), Found family to make me feel something, Great Dream SMP Fics, MCYT Fic Rec, Purrsonal Picks, no-rpf dsmp collection</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Dragon’s Warmth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You’re giving me... a dragon.”</p><p>Tommy stared at Drista before glancing back down at the dragon about the size of a puppy in her arms.</p><p>“Yep!” Drista said, wearing a grin that meant trouble, “I figured that you guys could be friends.”</p><p>Tommy had his doubts.</p><p>“Drista, are you sure it’s a good idea to be giving <em>me </em>a creature that can literally burn other people’s houses down?”</p><p>Tommy didn’t like to think about what happened the last time he burnt someone’s house down.</p><p>Drista rolled her eyes. “He’s house-trained; you don’t need to worry about that.”</p><p>She held the dragon out toward Tommy, and Tommy cautiously took him. The creature made a contented huff, and Tommy found himself cradling the dragon close to his chest. It was warm, okay?</p><p>“Pog. Thanks,” Tommy said hesitantly</p><p>He wasn’t entirely sure why he was so hesitant over the whole ordeal. A few months ago, he would be over the moon if he got a literal <em>dragon.</em></p><p>Maybe it was because he had seen too many pets die. Maybe it was because he didn’t need an animal that could cause mass destruction. Maybe it was because Tommy frankly didn’t understand why Drista felt the need to give him a gift in the first place.</p><p>“Well, I can’t take all the credit,” Drista said, “Tubbo and Sam mentioned getting you a dog or something, since you apparently spend a lot of evenings with Fran, and I suggested the dragon.”</p><p>Tommy laughed in spite of himself. “Yes, because the obvious transition from dog is <em>dragon.”</em></p><p>The dragon let out a little snort, causing a small amount of smoke to puff from his nostrils. Tommy was relieved to note that dragon smoke smelled nothing like smoke from explosions.</p><p>It was homier, for lack of a better word. Like an old blanket.</p><p>“Obviously,” Drista agreed. She turned around. “Anyway, I’m going to head out. I’ll see you around.”</p><p>“Yeah, see ya.”</p><p>Tommy glanced down at the dragon in his arms, noting the slightly green shine of his black scales and his glowing green eyes.</p><p>It kind of looked like a disk.</p><p>“You know?” Tommy said, holding the dragon up so he could see him better, “I think I’m going to name you Cat.”</p><p>The dragon purred, and Tommy smiled.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>The boy pretends nothing is wrong, but Cat can tell that he is very lonely. Cat can help with that. The girl who-no-longer-wears-a-mask said so.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She also admitted that she felt bad for the way her brother treated the boy, that she felt like she should have done something. Cat had snuggled close to her when she said that. The girl who-no-longer-wears-a-mask laughed and said Cat was supposed to comfort the boy, not her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Cat thinks he can comfort the boy. The boy already thinks he is warm. Cat knows this because the boy held him close to his chest, demanding to know why he was warm.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Cat let out a puff of smoke, hoping that would serve as explanation. Instead, the boy asked why his smoke smelled so comforting.</em>
</p><p><em>Yeah, Cat thinks he can comfort the boy, </em>his <em>boy.</em></p><p> </p><p>At first, Tommy wasn’t sure what to do with Cat. Would people mind if he just started carrying a dragon everywhere? Could Cat even walk? Probably, but for some dumb reason, Tommy wasn’t particularly inclined to put him down.</p><p>Tommy brought Cat to the construction site. If Sam wanted to fight him over a dragon in the construction site, Tommy would remind him who was paying who. Besides, Drista said that some of this was Sam’s idea, so it would be rude of him to dislike Tommy holding his dragon.</p><p>Tommy was overthinking this.</p><p>He boldly walked onto the platform, as if daring Sam Nook to say anything.</p><p>Sam smiled and handed Tommy a small construction hat and four small construction boots. Tommy watched as Sam sent Tommy a message through his communicator, playing the animal crossing sound.</p><p>
  <em>ALL DRAGONS NEED TO WEAR A SAFETY HELMET AND SAFETY BOOTS AT THE BUILD SITE.</em>
</p><p>Tommy let out a startled laugh, but he complied, quickly putting the boots and helmet on Cat. Fortunately, Cat didn’t seem to mind the gear, not even once trying to shake off the helmet.</p><p>Tommy had to admit, Cat looked pretty cute in that gear. Not that he’d ever admit it out loud, of course. He had a reputation to uphold here.</p><p>“Thanks Sam,” Tommy said, “Cat looks very pog in his construction gear.”</p><p>Sam smiled again, and they continued talking about the hotel, which was getting along well, if Tommy did say so himself.</p><p>Cat didn’t get in the way as Tommy gathered some more spruce for the hotel. He settled comfortably on Tommy’s shoulders, and Tommy couldn’t deny that it felt good to have an extra layer of protection, however small it might be.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>His boy’s father is good, Cat decides. His boy’s father gave Cat safety gear, and his boy laughed. Cat likes it when his boy laughs.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His boy’s father and his boy are friends, Cat thinks. His boy’s father smiles lots when his boy is around, and his boy smiles even more.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Cat decides he will protect his boy’s father, if he ever needs help.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Tommy didn’t stay at his own home, more often than not. Sometimes he would find himself sleeping over with Tubbo at Snowchester; other times, he was at Sam’s.</p><p>Tommy presented Cat to Tubbo at Snowchester on one of those times. They were sitting in the berry garden, and Tommy was wearing one of those ugly jackets Tubbo had.</p><p>“Drista gave him to me,” Tommy said, “But she said it was partly your idea too.”</p><p>“Gosh, I didn’t know what to expect when she suggested the dragon,” Tubbo said, scratching behind Cat’s horns, “But he’s actually pretty cute!”</p><p>Tommy held Cat close to his chest again. “Of course, he’s cute!” he said defensively, “You don’t need to sound surprised about it. Cat is insulted. You have insulted Cat. There is no return from this point.”</p><p>Tubbo smiled. “Oh, I’m sorry, Cat,” he said, continuing to scratch Cat from behind the horns, “Please, forgive me.”</p><p>Cat purred. Tommy glared at Tubbo.</p><p>“You’re stealing my own dragon from me,” Tommy said, “I can’t believe you’ve done this.”</p><p>“I’m sure Cat enjoys being scratched behind the ears by you also,” Tubbo said, not sounding at all perturbed, “You try. I’m going to see if I can’t make Cat some mini Snowchester gear.”</p><p>Tommy didn’t know how to tell Tubbo that Cat probably didn’t need winter gear, considering that he could breathe fire.</p><p>They spent the rest of the day in that berry garden, talking about simple things while Tubbo made some mini earmuffs and a small, blue scarf. Tommy continued scratching Cat from behind the horns.</p><p>Tommy put the scarf around Cat’s neck while Tubbo gently put the earmuffs down. Once again, Tommy had to admit that Cat looked pretty adorable.</p><p>Cat seemed to love it as well, if the way he kept purring was any indication.</p><p>Tommy was beginning to have the sneaking suspicion that Cat’s aspiration in life was to become a fashion model. Like, come on, first the construction outfit and then this?</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>The sweet boy is also very nice. The sweet boy gave Cat warm clothing.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Cat notices the sweet boy is scared of many things. He is scared of raised voices, but not the loud voice of his boy.  The sweet boy is afraid of leaving his boy, and Cat almost followed the sweet boy before remembering his own boy.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Both his boy and the sweet boy are afraid of being alone. Cat decides to make sure they spend lots of time together.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It is surprisingly easy, because his boy and the sweet boy decide to sleep next to each other, and Cat snuggles between them to give them both warmth.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Then his boy starts seeing scary things in his sleep, and Cat nips at his boy’s ankles. His boy wakes up, looking frightened. Cat curls up near his boy, and his boy hugs Cat. He squeezes tightly, but Cat doesn’t mind. He just wants his boy to feel better.</em>
</p><p><em>Another night, the sweet boy sees the scary things in his sleep, and Cat does the same thing for him. The sweet boy might not be </em>his <em>boy, but the sweet boy also needs comfort.</em></p><p>
  <em>Cat is very good at comforting people.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Tommy was clearing away the blood vines from his hotel area when Cat climbed onto one of them.</p><p>Tommy panicked, immediately picking his dragon up from the red vine. “Cat, no, we don’t touch those.”</p><p>Cat stared up at Tommy, and Tommy was relieved to see that his eyes were still as green as ever. Come to think of it, did the egg even infect animals? Tommy decided he’d rather not find out.</p><p>“You can’t touch those,” Tommy said again, pointing to Cat before pointing back down to the blood vines, “They’re dangerous. They might make you crazy.”</p><p>Cat blinked at Tommy, and Tommy wondered if Cat could even understand him at all.</p><p>Tommy carefully set Cat back down, ready to snatch him back up if he got too close to the vines.</p><p>Cat walked up to the vines, but stopped about a foot away. Tommy let out a sigh of relief. Message received. Cat knew not to touch the vines.</p><p>And then Cat opened his mouth, and breathed blue fire all over the blood vines, destroying them almost immediately.</p><p>“Holy <em>CRAP!” </em>Tommy shouted out in surprise. Cat continued destroying the vine. When it was almost completely gone, Cat looked up at Tommy.</p><p>A grin split across Tommy’s face, and he crouched down, scratching Cat behind the horns. “Very good work,” Tommy said.</p><p>Cat let out a puff of smoke victoriously. Tommy picked him up.</p><p>“Sam!” Tommy called out, running to the construction site, “Sam! Look what Cat can do!”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>His boy does not like the red plants that crawl everywhere. His boy destroys them. Cat helps. His boy likes the help. Cat knows this because his boy smiled and scratched Cat behind the horns. It feels good.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The ones with red eyes do not like his boy. They stalk toward him like predator to prey, holding sharp weapons. Cat breathes fire on them, and his boy grabs Cat and runs.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>They go to his boy’s father, who protects his boy with his own sharp weapons. The ones with red eyes and his boy’s father shout loudly, causing his boy’s heart to beat faster than usual. Cat flies up to his boy, and his boy hugs him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>When the ones with red eyes leave, his boy thanks his father. His boy’s father ruffles his hair, and Cat thinks his boy would’ve purred, if he could.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Yes, Cat likes his boy’s father.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Tommy decided that a visit with Dream was overdue.</p><p>As he headed to the prison, Cat draped himself across Tommy’s shoulders, and Tommy felt comfort in knowing that someone was watching his back.</p><p>When he reached the prison, Sam didn’t make Tommy leave Cat behind.</p><p>“Are you sure I’m allowed?” Tommy asked, “You’re not worried about it or anything?”</p><p>“Cat can take care of himself,” Sam said, “And who knows? Maybe he’ll give Dream a piece of his mind.”</p><p>Tommy snorted at that, but he didn’t complain. If he was being totally honest, he was relieved Sam was allowing him to bring Cat with him. Tommy wasn’t sure if he could summon up the courage to talk to Dream without the familiar weight across his shoulders.</p><p>Maybe Sam knew that. Maybe that was why he was allowing it.</p><p>When Tommy entered the prison, Dream didn’t stand up from the corner of the cell he was sitting in.</p><p>“Hey, Tommy,” Dream said, sounding tired, “Long time no see. Where’d the dragon come from?”</p><p>Cat growled at Dream, and Tommy gathered confidence from the sound.</p><p>“Drista gave him to me,” Tommy said, grinning, “And I don’t owe you anything. I don’t <em>have </em>to visit.”</p><p>Dream sighed. “Let me guess, you’re doing it out of the kindness of your heart.”</p><p>“That’s right.” Tommy ignored the sick feeling in his throat. “Because I’m you <em>friend.”</em></p><p>Dream laughed, and Tommy took an unconscious step back. “You are an awful liar,” Dream said, smiling.</p><p>Tommy flinched.</p><p>Cat growled more fiercely.</p><p>“I can’t believe my sister got you a dragon,” Dream groaned, “Isn’t that a little dangerous?”</p><p>Tommy scoffed. “For you maybe.”</p><p>“Won’t someone get hurt?” Dream asked, ignoring Tommy’s last comment, “What if it burns someone’s house down? What will happen to you?”</p><p>Tommy ignored the frantic beating of his heart. Cat crawled down from Tommy’s shoulders and settled himself in Tommy’s arms, warming Tommy’s chest. He let out a puff of smoke, smelling like home.</p><p>“Nothing will happen to me,” Tommy said, scowling, “Because you aren’t around to screw things up for everyone.”</p><p>Dream laughed again, getting to his feet. “If you think <em>I </em>am the only one who causes destruction on this server, you have another thing coming.”</p><p>“I already know about the egg.” Tommy held Cat closer to him. “I’m not stupid.”</p><p>Dream tilted his head. “Well, that’s debatable, but that wasn’t exactly what I was talking about.”</p><p>Tommy flinched when Dream placed his hand on Tommy’s shoulder, but Tommy didn’t move; he didn’t even breathe, frozen in the moment.</p><p>“Oh, Tommy,” Dream sighed, “You just—hey!”</p><p>Cat had bitten Dream’s hand. <em>Bitten it. </em>Bitten <em>Dream’s </em>hand.</p><p>Tommy loved his dragon.</p><p>As Tommy laughed, Dream stumbled back, clinging onto his now bleeding hand. Cat looked up at Tommy, and Tommy scratched the back of his horns in approval.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Cat does not like the masked man. The masked man is bad.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Cat can tell because his boy’s breathing quickened when he saw the masked man. Cat can tell because his boy’s heart beat faster every time the masked man spoke.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Cat also knows this because the girl who-no-longer-wears-a-mask told him that anyone wearing a mask with a smiley face was bad. And the masked man is wearing one of those bad masks.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>So Cat growled at the masked man and gave his boy comfort. And when the masked man touched his boy, his boy did not breathe at all, so Cat bit the masked man's hand.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His boy scratched him from behind the horns, so Cat knew he made the correct choice.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The masked man does not like getting bit, and he tries to grab Cat. His boy holds on tightly though, and Cat helps by shooting fire at the masked man’s bad mask.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The masked man gives up on getting close to his boy after that.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Good.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Sam took Tommy back to his place after that particular visit.</p><p>Tommy felt more shaken than he should’ve. It was nice, seeing Dream put in his place by Cat, but another part of him felt like a coward.</p><p><em>“Hiding behind your pet?” </em>Dream had growled, “<em>Pathetic.”</em></p><p>Cat had growled extra after that comment, but Tommy couldn’t immediately dispel it from his mind.</p><p>Sam must’ve known what Tommy was thinking as he served dinner. “Don’t listen to him,” he said, “Cat is supposed to protect you, and there’s nothing wrong with letting him do his job.”</p><p>“Huh?” Tommy asked, “What do you mean, he’s supposed to protect me?”</p><p>“Didn’t Drista tell you?” Sam asked, “Cat’s a therapy animal, he’s been specially trained to help you with trauma reactions.”</p><p>Tommy scowled. “So, he was a pity gift?”</p><p>Sam hummed. “Well, from Drista’s perspective, he was probably more like an apology gift.”</p><p>Tommy frowned. “Apology gift? Why?”</p><p>“Well, she saw you in exile, didn’t she?” Sam asked, gripping the table. “She thinks she should’ve done something.”</p><p>Tommy had a feeling Sam was speaking from experience.</p><p>“There was nothing she could’ve done,” Tommy said, “Dream would’ve just killed her, or worse.”</p><p>Cat, who was sill draped across Tommy’s shoulders, nuzzled Tommy’s face comfortingly at the remark.</p><p>Sam scowled. “Still,” he said, “We should’ve done something.”</p><p>Tommy wasn’t sure he liked this conversation topic anymore.</p><p>“Anyway,” Tommy said quickly, “Why doesn’t Tubbo have a therapy dragon, or whatever Cat’s technically called?”</p><p>Sam chuckled. “Oh, he will,” he said, “But Tubbo was the one who came up with the therapy animal idea in the first place, and he insisted we give one to you first, and then Drista insisted it be a dragon and no other creature. And, in case you haven’t noticed, dragons are rare finds. Dragons who are trained like Cat are nearly one of a kind.”</p><p>“Dragons are the best,” Tommy agreed, “If Drista doesn’t find one soon, I’ll help her look for one.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>His boy’s father has a dog. Cat likes the dog. The dog is soft.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His boy likes the dog too. His boy sinks his fingers into the dog’s fur; Cat thinks it must be soothing.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Cat wishes he had fur. He wants to be soothing.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His boy is very perceptive, and tells Cat not to worry about his lack of fur. His boy says that Cat’s smooth scales are also very soothing. Cat feels slightly better after that.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His boy has a nightmare that night, and Cat wakes him up. His boy stares at Cat for a moment, before muttering about Cat doing his job making more sense now. Cat wishes that the girl who-no-longer-wears-a-mask had mentioned Cat’s job to his boy. His boy wouldn’t be so confused now if she had explained.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His boy gets out of bed and goes to his father’s bedroom. His boy’s father is awake very quickly, and he lets his boy into his bed. His boy’s father hugs his boy very close. Cat snuggles close to his boy. The dog snuggles close to Cat.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It is a good night, Cat thinks.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>The next day, Tommy went over to Puffy’s place. He talked to her about every other day, and Tommy knew they were therapy sessions. The only reason he didn’t protest was because he knew Sam got them too.</p><p>Puffy greeted Tommy happily like always and gave Cat a little scratch.</p><p>“So, how was your day yesterday?” Puffy asked.</p><p>“Fine,” Tommy said, “I visited Dream.”</p><p>Puffy nodded, but Tommy didn’t miss the concern in her eyes. “Did anything interesting happen in your visit?”</p><p>Tommy smiled and nodded. “Yeah, Cat growled at him, bit him, and then breathed fire at his face.”</p><p>Cat let out a puff of smoke at the honorable mention. Puffy let out a startled laugh.</p><p>“I see,” she said, “Was it funny?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Tommy said, not sounding as confident as he’d prefer, “It was pretty funny.”</p><p>Puffy waited patiently for Tommy to continue.</p><p>“But…” Tommy sighed. “I don’t know, I don’t want to look like a coward.”</p><p>Puffy smiled kindly. “There’s nothing wrong with accepting help when it comes. Would you want Tubbo to face Dream all on his own because he didn’t want to look like a coward?”</p><p>Tommy scowled. What sort of question was that?</p><p>“Of course not,” he said, “If Tubbo had a dragon to protect him, I’d tell him to let the damn dragon protect… oh.”</p><p>Puffy smiled. “There’s nothing wrong with letting Cat protect you.”</p><p>“…Okay.”</p><p>Cat purred, and Tommy’s chest felt warm.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Cat likes his boy’s mother. His boy’s mother comforts his boy with words, while Cat comforts his boy with actions.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His boy likes his mother. Cat knows this because he is always relaxed around her, and when he is not relaxed, it is because of outside reasons.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His mother gives Cat some food whenever his boy comes for comforting talks. This is another reason Cat likes her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His boy’s mother convinced his boy that Cat is right to do his job, and Cat is extra grateful to her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>On their way home, his boy sees a hole. His boy freezes. Cat nips at his boy’s ankles, ready to drag the boy away from the hole, but his boy doesn’t leave. Instead he bends over, muttering apologies to the masked man.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Cat hates the masked man. He is preventing Cat from doing his job, and he isn’t even here.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Cat runs back to his boy’s mother, tugging at her pants. His mother seems to receive the message, because she follows Cat to his boy, who is still crouched over.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His boy’s mother helps his boy feel better. Cat feels bad he couldn’t do more, but his boy’s mother thanks him, so Cat supposes he must have done something correctly.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Sam wanted more hearts of the sea, and Tommy found himself heading once again to Eret’s castle.</p><p>As much as Tommy said he hated Eret, Tommy wasn’t sure that was true anymore. Eret had proved time and time again that he was at least <em>trying </em>to make things right.</p><p>That didn’t exactly mean that Tommy felt <em>comfortable </em>around Eret, but he decided that he wasn’t going to swear him out every time they crossed each other down the street.</p><p>So, Tommy approached Eret’s castle, and Eret met him near the entrance.</p><p>“Hey, Tommy,” Eret said casually, clearly trying to appear as nonthreatening as possible, “Nice dragon.”</p><p>“Thank you,” Tommy said, “His name is Cat.”</p><p>Cat let out a small growl in Eret’s direction, and Eret winced. Tommy felt bad for some stupid reason, so he turned to Cat and said,</p><p>“Eret’s good. You don’t need to growl at him.”</p><p>Cat let out a huff and placed himself in Tommy’s arms. Tommy shrugged apologetically at Eret.</p><p>“Sorry,” he said, “He gets a little overprotective, I guess.”</p><p>Eret nodded. “I get it.”</p><p>When Eret gave Tommy the hearts of the sea, he said casually, “You know, if you’d like, I could make Cat some royal gear.”</p><p>Tommy blinked before peering at Eret suspiciously. “How did you know Cat is strangely attached to outfits?”</p><p>Eret gestured at Cat. “He’s still wearing his safety gear from the construction site. So are you actually. If you’d really like, I can arrange for both of you to wear matching royal gear.”</p><p>Tommy flushed and sputtered.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Cat wasn’t sure about the king at first. The king makes his boy scared, and Cat does not like people who made his boy scared.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But his boy told Cat not to growl at the king, so Cat listens. Cat observes as the king acts nice, which is strange, because his boy still feels scared.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But it is only a little scared, so Cat still respects his boy’s request.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His boy has good judgement, and as his boy spends more time with the king, the more and more his boy relaxes.</em>
</p><p><em>The king offers to make Cat more clothes. Cat likes clothes. Then the king offers to make clothes for </em>both <em>Cat and his boy.</em></p><p>
  <em>Cat likes that idea even more.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His boy is embarrassed, but he looks at Cat and agrees. Cat finds this strange, since he never indicated that he actually wanted to do the outfits. He does not wish to make his boy uncomfortable.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Maybe his boy is extra perceptive.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It is fine, however, because his boy comes back the next day and has fun choosing outfits for both him and Cat to wear.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The king is very good at making dragon outfits, as it turns out, and the outfits were all very comfortable. The king even made Cat his own crown. The king offers his boy a crown too, but his boy does not want one.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Cat decides he likes the king. Maybe he was bad once, since he still makes his boy scared, but the king does not seem bad anymore.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Jack and Niki made Tommy nervous.</p><p>So, when they both came up to him, saying that they wanted to talk to him about something, Tommy was appropriately cautious.</p><p>Cat didn’t seem to approve of the pair either, which did not help Tommy’s flow of dread.</p><p>Jack hands him a drink, saying that they just wanted to celebrate all of their recent victories in private. Niki agrees.</p><p>Tommy peered down at the drink suspiciously, but before he could even attempt to express his doubts, Cat knocks it out of his hands.</p><p>Tommy holds Cat back as his dragon tries to fly over to Jack and Niki, breathing blue fire toward them rapidly.</p><p>“Sorry about him,” Tommy said through gritted teeth, dragging Cat away, “He’s a tad overprotective.”</p><p>When Tommy returned to the construction site, Tommy told Sam about the incident.</p><p>“I’ll talk to them,” Sam said.</p><p>“I’d prefer that you not kill them,” Tommy told Sam. Even if they may have tried to poison them, it didn’t mean he wanted Jack and Niki dead. Especially not Niki.</p><p>“I won’t kill them.” Sam’s eyes glinted. “I’ll just give them a little warning.”</p><p>Tommy trusted Sam to exercise restraint. If the man could manage helping Tommy out of his nightmares and panic attacks without killing <em>Dream</em>, Sam could probably avoid killing Jack and Niki.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Cat did not trust the untrustworthy duo. The untrustworthy girl had a dark glint her eyes, and there was something dangerous in the smile of the untrustworthy man.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Cat smelled death in his boy’s drink. Cat knocked the drink out of his boy’s hands.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The untrustworthy duo tried to kill his boy. Cat will kill them.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His boy does not let Cat kill them; Cat allows himself to be dragged away, but not without a struggle. He needs to warn the untrustworthy duo to not try it again.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His boy does tell his father about Cat’s actions, and his father says he will talk to the untrustworthy duo.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His boy’s father has a dangerous glint in his eye. Cat hopes the untrustworthy duo learn their lesson.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Tommy couldn’t believe he agreed to this.</p><p>They had finally gotten the book from Dream, and now they were going to try bring Wilbur back.</p><p>He didn’t want to go to Wilbur’s resurrection. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to see Wilbur at all.</p><p>Oh, who was he kidding? He wanted, <em>yearned, </em>to see him. He wanted to hear Wilbur’s voice. Wilbur’s <em>real </em>voice, not his untethered echo.</p><p>Still, Tommy didn’t want to go to the actual resurrection. Tommy didn’t want to risk Pogtopia Wilbur coming back in all his glory.</p><p>Not many people were there when Tommy arrived. Tommy had lied to Sam, saying he didn’t plan to come. He said the same to Tubbo. Tommy didn’t want them to get hurt if Wilbur turned out to be insane again.</p><p>Phil insisted that Tommy come though, probably because Phil knew that Wilbur was close to Tommy.</p><p>Basically, Tommy was being used as a tool for Wilbur’s return.</p><p>He hated it. He hated it <em>so</em> <em>much</em>, but if there was even a <em>chance </em>that Wilbur could come back, Tommy had to take it.</p><p>He approached Phil, Techno, and Ranboo slowly, keeping his guard up.</p><p>“Hey, mate,” Phil said casually, as if he were addressing an old acquaintance and not his <em>son. </em>Cat growled, and Phil’s eyes widened. “Is that a <em>dragon?” </em>Phil asked, his voice filled with awe.</p><p>Because of course, of course, Phil cared about Tommy’s <em>dragon </em>more than Tommy himself.</p><p>“Yes,” Tommy said stiffly, clenching his hands into fists, “His name is Cat.”</p><p>Techno raised his eyebrows. “Like the disk? You really should curb that obsession of yours, Tommy.”</p><p>Tommy pursed his lips together, stopping himself from saying that Techno wasn’t really one to talk when it came to <em>obsessions, </em>considering that Techno hadn’t managed stay within ten feet of a L’manberg without trying to blow it to screwing <em>bedrock.</em></p><p>Well, maybe that wasn’t quite true. Techno had attempted retirement; it was L’manberg that pulled him back over the edge.</p><p>But that didn’t give him the right to side with <em>Dream </em>of all people.</p><p>“Cat likes his name,” Tommy said. Cat paused his growling to nudge Tommy in approval.</p><p>“Wow,” Ranboo said, “He <em>really </em>likes you Tommy.” Ranboo glanced at Phil and Techno. “I’m not sure about everybody else.”</p><p>“You understand him?” Tommy asked, surprised.</p><p>“Probably not much more than you do,” Ranboo said, scratching the back of his head, “He’s definitely has some sort of ender blood, so I can understand his emotions a little more clearly, I think. I can speak to endermen, you know.”</p><p>“Oh,” Tommy said. He glanced down at Cat. “You really like me as much as Ranboo says?”</p><p>Cat purred. Tommy took that as a yes.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Cat does not trust the winged one or the pink one. They make his boy uncomfortable and sad. Cat does not trust people who make his boy uncomfortable and sad.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The winged one is distant from his boy, which makes his boy sad. Cat isn’t sure why, but he offers his comfort while growling at the winged one.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The pink one makes his boy sad and scared. Cat makes sure to growl at him extra.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The tall one does not make his boy uncomfortable. The tall one understands Cat more than the others, which makes Cat like him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>People are standing in a circle, talking about bringing someone back from the dead. Cat thinks this is a strange thing to talk about. Bringing people back from the realm of the dead is not possible, as far as Cat knows.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>At first, Cat is certain that everyone has wasted their time, which makes him sad, because he thinks his boy may be disappointed. It also makes him happy, because he is pretty sure his boy is afraid of the person they are resurrecting.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And then a man appears, laughing. His brown hair is curly, and he wears a long trench coat.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The undead man’s laugh is making his boy’s heart race and breathing quicken, so Cat pounces on the man, causing him to tumble backwards.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The undead man stops laughing.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Tommy quickly grabbed Cat off of Wilbur, hugging him close to his chest protectively. He glanced back toward the others. Phil looked surprised; Techno looked like he wanted to laugh. He was pretty sure Ranboo looked approving, but Tommy wasn’t sure.</p><p>“Wil?” Tommy asked, his voice quaking.</p><p>“Tommy?” Wilbur whispered, pulling himself back to his feet. He reached out, and Tommy flinched, taking a step backward. Cat let out a growl.</p><p>Wilbur quickly shoved his hands back into his pockets. He let out a low chuckle.</p><p>“I never wanted to come back,” he said, “I wanted to stay dead.”</p><p>Tommy felt anger rise up within him. “Yeah, and you wanted me to go with you!”</p><p>Tommy spun around and left. He didn’t want to hear Wilbur’s reply.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>His boy returns home to his father, crying.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Cat curls up in his lap. He doesn't like it when his boy is sad. The undead man makes his boy sad.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The undead man tried to kill his boy. Cat doesn’t know how. His boy doesn’t say many details when crying into his father’s shoulder.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>A few days later, Wilbur found Tommy near the outskirts of Snowchester.</p><p>Tommy looked away, not trying to stop Cat as he growled angrily at his older brother.</p><p>“I’m sorry.”</p><p>Tommy spun around, giving Wilbur an astonished look. He wasn’t sure why he felt so shocked. Maybe he just didn’t expect those specific words to come out of Wilbur’s mouth.</p><p>“Really?” Tommy asked, his mouth dry.</p><p>Wilbur wasn’t wearing his trench coat anymore. Instead, he was wearing his old yellow jumper. A single tear spilled down his cheek.</p><p>“Yeah,” he whispered, “I, ah, I wasn’t in my right mind in the end. And that’s not an excuse; it just… makes me feel better, I guess.”</p><p>“You knew I would be on that podium,” Tommy said, looking away again, “You knew I would be caught right in the middle of that explosion.”</p><p>“You’re right,” Wilbur said frankly, “I knew I was going to die, and I wanted to take you with me, because I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you. It was selfish, and I’m sorry.”</p><p>Cat stopped growling. Tommy held the dragon close, clinging onto the heat. He kept his eyes trained down on the snowy ground.</p><p>“I missed you,” he finally said, “I was angry, but I missed you.”</p><p>“I missed you too,” Wilbur admitted, “And I’m sorry that I couldn’t be there for you when you needed me most.”</p><p>“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you,” Tommy whispered.</p><p>Wilbur shook his head. “Don’t be. I should have never been your responsibility.”</p><p>“I shouldn’t have been yours either,” Tommy reminded him. Because Phil was his father, not Wilbur, and yet Wilbur was more of a father than Phil could ever be.</p><p>Wilbur laughed bitterly. “Noted.”</p><p>There was a small, awkward pause, in which Wilbur finally said, “So, how about you properly introduce me to your dragon? If you’re willing, of course.”</p><p>Tommy nodded.</p><p>“This is Cat,” Tommy said, scratching Cat from behind the horns, “Sorry that he tackled you.”</p><p>Wilbur chuckled. “I deserved it,” he said, “I like his snow gear.”</p><p>“Tubbo made it.”</p><p>It wasn’t forgiveness, but it was a start.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>The undead man comes back, and his boy yells at him. The undead man reacts calmly, and Cat wonders if he has misjudged him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It turns out that the undead man was bad, but used to be good, and might be good again. He is like the king, so Cat decides to give him a chance.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Tubbo and Tommy were relaxing together when Drista appeared out of nowhere in her very Drista fashion, holding another dragon. This one was black like Cat, but it had yellow highlights instead of green.</p><p>“Well, I promised I would find you one,” Drista said, “Sorry that it took so long.”</p><p>Tubbo smiled, taking the dragon into his hands. “That’s alright,” he said.</p><p>“Well,” Tommy said, still scratching a purring Cat from behind the ears, “What are you going to name him?”</p><p>Tubbo smiled. “I think I’ll name him Bee. Then we’ll have Cat and Bee.”</p><p>Tommy snorted. “That’s sounds dumb.” He hesitated. “I like it.”</p><p>Tubbo laughed. Bee purred.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Bee looks at Cat and asks, “Is the loud one your boy?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Cat hums in affirmation, and replies, “Yes, he is my boy, and the sweet boy is yours.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bee hesitates. “They have many sorrows, but are happy all the same.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“That is because our boys are strong,” Cat informs him, “And we must comfort and protect them as best as we can.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bee hums. “I think I can comfort my boy.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Cat nods. He likes Bee. Bee will be good for the sweet boy, he thinks.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>As for his boy, Cat believes he can continue comforting him for as long as he needs.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I have lots of fun with this au. </p><p>I have some art for it <a href="https://mollypollykinz.tumblr.com/post/642422840666341376/mollypollykinz-au-where-tommy-gets-a-therapy">here</a>. </p><p>I also have a <a href="https://discord.gg/QZcnK9DNEA">discord</a>, so if you want to pester me for a part two, you can do it there. </p><p>Please be nice in the comments, I hope you enjoyed! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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